This article is from page 12 of the 2011-06-28 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 12 JPG
THE future designation of Special Protected Areas (SPAs) could undermine much of the good work done by Clare County Council for the renewable energy sector in the Clare County Plan, which was published yesterday.
That is according to Clare businessman and chairman of West Clare Renewable Energy Ltd Padraig Howard, who says that SPAs and renewable energy projects cannot take place in the same places and that an area’s designation as a SPA puts a “green blanket” for development over a region.
Mr Howard, whose own proposal for the development of a € 200 million wind energy project at Mount Callan is currently before An mBord Pleanála, says that the County Plan is a positive step forward for the industry in Clare.
“The plan as it stands is fully in line with European environmental legislation but a problem arises when it comes to SPAs. I believe that there are moves afoot for the rolling out of further SPAs in the county. SPAs and renewable energy are not compatible bedfellows and it is widely considered in the industry now that if an SPA is placed on an area you can forget about the development of renewable energy. There is this fear the further SPAs would be rolled out – they are like putting a green blanket over an area,” said Mr Howard.
“What is critical now is that this plan is implemented. The people of the county need to take ownership of the plan and realise that this is not about large utilities that they have no say in – this is about their future.”
The plan has designated areas of the county which it feels are ideal for the creation of wind-energy. While there is no guarantee that planning will be granted to projects in these areas, it is thought that the plan will help developers to avoid wasting time and money on projects in undesirable locations.
“Not only does this look at the environmental impact of projects but it looks at the wind resource and the grid structure when deciding where would be suitable for wind-farms,” continued Mr Howard.
“One of the key parts of this strategy is that the council wants to see a community gain. That is something that is really important. The people need to be encouraged to take ownership of these projects and to get a real gain from them. If the communities can take ownership of these projects they go from something that could be contentious to something that will be welcomed – and that is something that can sustain farm families and rural communities into the future,” added Mr Howard.